小王子 chapter17

chapter 17

When one wishes to play the wit,he sometimes wanders a little from the truth. I have not been altogether honest in what I have told you about the lamplighters.And I realize that I run the risk of giving a false idea of our planet to those who do not konw it. Men occupy a very small place upon the Earth.If the two billion inhabitants who people its surface were all to stand upright and somewhat crowded together,as they do for some big public assembly,they could easily be put into one public square twenty miles long and twenty miles wide. All humanity could be piled up on a small Pacific islet.
The grown-ups,to be sure,will not believe you when  you tell them that.They imagine that they fill a great deal of space.They fancy themselves as important as the baobabs.You should advise them ,then,to make their own calculations. They adore figures,and that will please them. But do not waste your time on this extra task.It is unnecessary. You have,I know, confidence in me .
When the little prince arrived on the Earth,he was very much surprised not to see any people. He was beginning to be afraid he had come to the wrong planet, when a coil of gold,the colour of the moonlight,flashed across the sand.
"Good evening,"said the little prince courteously.
"Good evening," said the snake.
"What planet is this on which I have come down?" asked the little prince.
"This is the Earth;this is Africa," the snake answered.
"Ah! Then there are no people on the Earth?"
"This is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The Earth is large," said the snake.
The little prince sat down on a stone,and raised his eyes toward the sky.
"I wonder," he said,"whether the stars are set alight in heaven so that one day each one of us may find his own again...Look at my planet.It is right there above us.But how far away it is!"
"It is beautiful," the snake said."What has brought you here?"
"I have been having some trouble with a flower," said the little prince.
"Ah!" said the snake.
And they were both silent.
"Where are the men?" the little prince at last took up the conversation again."It is a little lonely in the desert..."
"It is also lonely among men," the snake said.
The little prince gazed at him for a long time.
"You are a funny animal," he said at last."You are no thicker than a finger..."
"But I am more powerful than the finger of a king," said the snake.
The little prince smiled.
"You are not very powerful.You haven't even any feet.You cannot even travel..."
"I can carry you farther than any ship could take you," said the snake.
He twined himself around the little prince's ankle,like a golden bracelet(手镯).
"Whomever I touch, I send back to the earth from whence he came," the snake spoke again."But you are innocent and true,and you come from a star..."
The little prince made no reply.
"You move me to pity - you are so weak on this Earth made of granite,"the snake said."I can help you ,some day,if you grow too homesick for your own planet.I can - "
"Oh! I understand you very well," said the little prince."But why do you always speak in riddles?"
"I solve them all,"said the snake.
And they were both silent.

十七章

人想要把话说得俏皮些，有时就得说点假话。讲到点灯人的时候，我就不那么实在。我意识到这可能给那些不了解我们星球的人一种错觉。其实人类在地球上占据的空间很小。如果住在地球上的二十亿人都站好，像他们参加公共聚会那样挨着拥挤地站在一起，那么一个而是英里见方的广场就能轻轻松松地容纳。太平洋上的一个小岛就能装得下全人类。
当然，如果你跟大人们说这些，他们是不会相信的。他们自以为占了很大的地方。他自以为像猴面包树那么重要。你可以建议他们亲自算一算。大人们很喜欢数字，他们很乐意去算。但你别把时间浪费在做这种无聊的事情上。这毫无意义，请相信我。
到了地球之后，小王子感到非常意外，因为他一个人也没看见。他有点担心是不是走错了星球，这时，有个月白色的圆环在沙地上扭动而来。
“晚上好。”小王子礼貌地说。
“晚上好。”那条蛇回答。
“我这是落在哪个星球上了？”小王子问。
“在地球上。这是非洲。”蛇回答说。
“啊！地球上难道没有人吗？”
“这里是沙漠。沙漠里没有人。地球是很大的。”蛇说。
小王子在一块石头上坐下，抬眼望着天空。
“我在想，”他说，“天上的星星亮闪闪的，是不是为了让我们每个人有一天能重新找回自己的星球上？你看看我的星球，它就在我们头顶上方，不过它离得有那么远！”
“它很美。”蛇说，“你来这里做什么？”
“我和一朵花闹了点别扭。”小王子说。
“啊！”蛇说。
之后他们沉默了片刻。
“人在哪里？”终于，小王子又开口说，“在沙漠里有点孤独。”
“在人群里也同样孤独。”蛇说。
小王子望着他看来好一会儿。
“你真是个奇怪的动物，”小王子说，“还没一根手指粗。”
“但我比国王的手指还要厉害。”蛇说。
小王子笑了笑。
“你没那么厉害，你连腿都没有，你甚至没法去旅行。”
“我可以送你去很远的地方，比你做任何轮船能去的还要远。”蛇说。
他盘上小王子的脚踝，看上去像一支金色的手镯。
“不管是谁，我只要一碰，就能把他送回老家。”蛇接着说，“但你这么单纯，又是从一颗星星上来的。”
小王子什么也没回答。
“在这个冰冷坚硬的地球上，你显得那么脆弱，我觉得你挺可怜的。如果有一天你特别想家了，我可以帮你。我可以。。。”
“噢！我完全明白你的意思。”小王子说，“可是为什么你说话总是像打谜语一样呢？”
“因为我有全部的谜底啊。”蛇说。
于是他们又都沉默起来。